When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, its a good core workout. If youre sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More

In the past 30 years, light artists have reimagined an art form that has always had the ability to turn the night sky, or a simple window, into luminescence. Last fall, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts turned its southern glass wall into a parade of sound-sensing lights, Lightswarm, that changes with the movements of nearby people and things. Future Cities Lab, the San Francisco design company behind Lightswarm, has originated another notable light sculpture. Located by the YBCA's steps at 701 Mission, Murmur Wall will light up in arresting ways as it incorporates local trending search engine results and social media postings. Onlookers can offer their own contributions, which will feed into the Murmur Wall's data stream and light up the sculpture. What's trending in San Francisco? If you're walking by the YBCA, you can see firsthand — at least through light patterns that reflect the city's volatile internet habits.
Murmur Wall debuts Thursday at 6 p.m. and continues through May 31, 2017, at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., S.F. Free; 415-978-2700 or ybca.org. More

Friday, June 29, 2012

If you've ever used cannabis as an ingredient, you know it's as tricksy as a hobbit in a cave.

Because this is a food column, we'll just skip over the complications of dosage, which are significant. Just in terms of integrating it into a recipe, the green dragon can overwhelm, especially if you're going for a high dosage.

Now, me, personally (that is to say, as a person), I like the taste and aroma of cannabis. But while occasionally I'll argue it can even add an unexpected and tasty twist to some recipes, such as the mango lassi I recently reviewed, more often than not it behaves like what it is: an herb. And like a typical garden herb, a little goes a long way.

So it's particularly gratifying to find a product that manages to tame the herb, weaving it into a balance of flavors that is more of a hint than a hammer.

And I was not disappointed. This time I was sharing with a friend who isn't particularly enamored of the pungent dominance of weed in many medibles, and she couldn't believe there was a high enough dosage to be effective, because you could hardly taste cannabis at all.

Instead, Xternal has produced a top-notch caramel corn. You get all the wondrous flavors you expect from caramel corn, medible or not. It's truly impressive that you can't detect pot in the recipe, because butter is all up in it. Creamy and salty, it punches the sweetness in the face and does its best to come out on top in the taste tussle.

Xternal doesn't skimp on the delicious caramel coating, either. There's a liberal lathering all over the corn, though it avoids killing the crunch of the kernels. All in all, one of the most impressive demonstrations of culinary control of cannabis I've ever enjoyed.

Unfortunately, the dispensary I got Xternal's Canna caramel corn is no longer open as a brick-and-mortar service. The Green Door in Novato closed up shop in mid-June after its landord was threatened with action by federal authorities. However, Xternal's products can be found at various dispensaries, including Oakland's Purple Heart Patient Center near Jack London Square. If they don't stock the Canna caramel corn, ask for it! Then throw on Meek's Cutoff and just listen to that stagecoach squeak. Squeak. Squeak.

Steve Robles is a San Francisco-based writer and blogger. You can find his blog at www.oldenasty.com or follow him on Twitter at @mrsteverobles. Follow us at @SFoodie, and like us on Facebook.

Like us on Facebook

Slideshows

Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"